What's Missing?
by Joy of Joys
Summary: She was missing something. But what? Her sister seemed happy, but then, she had Amberfire. They were happy. Why wasn't she? How could she find it? How does it happen? My first ImagineClan Challenge! Supposed to be a One Shot, but it may not have turned out that way.


**A queen gazed down at her kits, purring. One was a black she-kit, one a gray she-kit, then a white and ginger spotted tom, and the other a white she-kit with gray paws and tail. "Shadekit, Streamkit, Thornkit, and Mousekit." Streamkit squeaked and rolled onto Mousekit. Their father, whom Mousekit strongly resembled, a white tom with gray patches, paws, and tail, purred.**

**"Perfect. Thornkit looks just like you! But, is there any chance you named the kits because of how we met?" **

**"You know me too well!" she laughed. She remembered that day like it was yesterday...**

Spottedfern walked up to the deputy, Petalheart.

"Hey Petalheart! Do you have any patrols you can put me on?"

"Sure, Spottedfern. Go hunting with Spiderstone, Pinefrost, Finchpaw, and Cloudstream."

"Okay" She gathered her patrol, which included her sister. Pinefrost was always looking to show off to the Clan, whether it be at hunting, fighting, or choosing a mate. Recently, she'd become mates with the cat who was next in line for deputy. Spottedfern was a pretty average hunter, not like Pinefrost, and she always felt as if she was being compared. She was a pretty lousy fighter as well. Luckily, there hadn't been many battles lately, so she hadn't had to embarrass herself in front of the Clan. Something was missing in her life, but she couldn't figure out what.

Then there was Cloudstream. Why did Petalheart have to put her on a patrol with him? He'd been one of her best friends, when they were both apprentices. She'd thought, maybe, they could even one day be more than that. But then he'd gotten his warrior name, and she'd felt as if she was inferior, not important enough to be his friend, much less his mate. She still liked him, but they hadn't had a real conversation since they were apprentices. She thought, since he hadn't talked to her, that maybe their friendship was over.

Out in the shady, cool forest, Spottedfern split the patrol. Pinefrost and her apprentice, Finchpaw, hunted together, and the rest of them hunted solo. _How does one become happy?_ She wondered, wandering next to the small stream that ran along the border. Pinefrost was happy. Pinefrost had everything, though. Great warrior skills, an apprentice to pass them on to, a mate, Amberfire, and now she was expecting kits. Pinefrost was pretty. Brown with silvery-black swirls. Spottedfern was just average. Average hunting, average fighting, no apprentice, no mate, no kits. Always compared, never original. Not particularly good-looking. Just white with some ginger spots. Why was Pinefrost always so amazing? Spottedfern was always so bored.

Focused on her thoughts, not her hunting, Spottedfern didn't see what she was stalking. _Is that a mouse?_ She didn't stop to taste the scent. It looked enough like a mouse for her to drop into her crouch. Sliding her paws forward, slowly Spottedfern crept up on it. It twitched, and she pounced. Her claws sunk into flesh, and someone yowled. A white and gray head popped up from behind the thorn bush.

"Spottedfern! Why'd you try to hunt my tail?!"

"U-uh, C-Clouds-stream! I'm so s-sorry!" she stuttered.

He purred, "Hunting mice, were we?"

"No... well... yes. I wasn't paying attention."

"Obviously," Cloudstream snorted.

"Listen! I'm sorry, okay?!" she snapped.

"It's okay, Spottedfern! I was only joking."

"Oh, okay then," she replied.

"Spottedfern, I've been meaning to talk to you." Suddenly, she detected nervousness in his blue eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"W-well, you haven't talked to me in a long time. Why?" he mewed.

"Well, once you got your warrior name, you were so caught up in your duties, I didn't feel like I was important enough to be your friend anymore." she replied. "Or anything else," she added under her breath

"Oh, Spottedfern!" he said. "You should never have felt that way. I only stopped talking to you because I thought you were mad at me! It hurt me so much when we stopped talking. I thought I'd done something that had made you mad, yet I never stopped to think how you must have felt. Then I didn't even attempt to make things right."

"I'm sorry I made it seem that way, Cloudstream. I couldn't bear not talking to you, I was just afraid you didn't want to be..." she trailed off. He pushed his muzzle into her shoulder.

"Spottedfern, I love you." he whispered

"Cloudstream, I never thought, I mean, I love you, too." she meowed. He purred, twining his tail with hers.

"Come on, you big furball, I think I, for one, have done enough hunting for one day." she laughed.

They walked back to where the group had gathered with their prey. Finchpaw was showing off her catch, a thrush and a vole. Spiderstone had a blackbird and two mice, and Pinefrost, ever the overachiever, had caught a rabbit and a vole. Pinefrost was purring, obviously happy that her apprentice was doing so well, and eager to show off their catches to the rest of their patrol, then the Clan.

"Spottedfern, where's all your prey?! I thought this was a _hunting_ patrol?" Pinefrost snapped.

"Well, Pinefrost, it looks like you did well enough for the two of us, meanwhile, all I caught was _this_ big lug!" Spottedfern purred.

"Y-you mean," Pinefrost was, for once, at a loss for words. "You mean you two are..."

Spottedfern laughed. "Yes, Pinefrost. I finally think I found what my life was missing! And it was all because of a mouse!" Cloudstream purred, once again twining his tail with hers. "Let's get back to camp."

**Spottedfern hadn't known it then, but her life was going to take a few unexpected turns. Pinefrost herself had become deputy, and Petalheart was now Petalstar. She'd had an apprentice, and miraculously, Blossomtail was a great hunter. Now Spottedfern was a mother, to four beautiful kits. She had a mate who loved her. With all that, she'd found what was missing.**


End file.
